Saturday, September 30, 2006
Inspirational what? Celebratory why?
(Category: life, faith)
(Engage procrastination mode)
In one of the many glossy freebies to land on the doormats in MLPK, and soon due for the recycler, were two items that caught my eye recently.
The first was the caption for the cover picture, selling a certain shopping area (which I'm pleased to report has it's own chaplaincy team) as "An inspirational new shopping experience." Apart from reminding me of the sales spin of a certain rather larger shopping mall in Sheffield, talking about the "leisure-retail experience", there has to be a question. How can a shopping be an inspirational experience? What are the values, goals and motivations we are expected to inhale, assimilate and allow to direct our (consuming) lifestyles? Other, that is, than "consumption is good" and the motivation to plunge oursleves further into debt in the pursuit of retail-therapy nirvana? Hardly, one would have thought, desirable practice for the followers of the one who had no-where to lay his head and warned his listeners to store up treasures in heaven.
The second, part of that inevitable cavalcade at this time of year, was a number of exortations all upon the theme of "celebrating" Halloween. But does anybody actually know what it is they are celebrating? As an individual of vaguely-Evangelical theological persuasion I have reservations about Halloween, true. But the question remains. Is the celebration merely one of the date, simply on the logic that it's a good excuse for a party?
And what are the implicit messages sent out at Halloween? That we're all far too sensible to believe such supernatural nonsense as vampires, ghost, ghouls and withcery? Somewhat ironic, maybe, given the increasing rise in non-Christian pseudo-traditional religions. The wikipedia entry makes an interesting observation I hadn't considered before: "Additionally, many Wiccans and other neo-Pagan adherents object to Halloween as a vulgarized, commercialized mockery of the original Samhain observances." So the occasion is as much a perversion of Samhain as All Saints.
Still, only two questions remain in my mind. How long before some bright spark seeks to make Halloween a recognised UK holiday, and maybe more importantly, what am I going to do at the end of October?
(procrastination mode off - continue sermon...) ¶ 1:22 pm
(Engage procrastination mode)
In one of the many glossy freebies to land on the doormats in MLPK, and soon due for the recycler, were two items that caught my eye recently.
The first was the caption for the cover picture, selling a certain shopping area (which I'm pleased to report has it's own chaplaincy team) as "An inspirational new shopping experience." Apart from reminding me of the sales spin of a certain rather larger shopping mall in Sheffield, talking about the "leisure-retail experience", there has to be a question. How can a shopping be an inspirational experience? What are the values, goals and motivations we are expected to inhale, assimilate and allow to direct our (consuming) lifestyles? Other, that is, than "consumption is good" and the motivation to plunge oursleves further into debt in the pursuit of retail-therapy nirvana? Hardly, one would have thought, desirable practice for the followers of the one who had no-where to lay his head and warned his listeners to store up treasures in heaven.
The second, part of that inevitable cavalcade at this time of year, was a number of exortations all upon the theme of "celebrating" Halloween. But does anybody actually know what it is they are celebrating? As an individual of vaguely-Evangelical theological persuasion I have reservations about Halloween, true. But the question remains. Is the celebration merely one of the date, simply on the logic that it's a good excuse for a party?
And what are the implicit messages sent out at Halloween? That we're all far too sensible to believe such supernatural nonsense as vampires, ghost, ghouls and withcery? Somewhat ironic, maybe, given the increasing rise in non-Christian pseudo-traditional religions. The wikipedia entry makes an interesting observation I hadn't considered before: "Additionally, many Wiccans and other neo-Pagan adherents object to Halloween as a vulgarized, commercialized mockery of the original Samhain observances." So the occasion is as much a perversion of Samhain as All Saints.
Still, only two questions remain in my mind. How long before some bright spark seeks to make Halloween a recognised UK holiday, and maybe more importantly, what am I going to do at the end of October?
(procrastination mode off - continue sermon...) ¶ 1:22 pm
Comments:
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"Inspirational" shopping is simply the result of letting marketing people grope blindly around in the bucket labelled "superlatives".
Celebrating Halloween, on the other hand, seems reasonable enough. I can see your point, but what other word would be better? After all when people go to parties, dress up, give out and eat candy purely because it's the last day in October they're doing something. Halloween wouldn't be the only arbitrary date which is celebrated inappropriately - Christmas springs to mind.
I am willing to be convinced that there is a better word for "performing a shallow but culturally expected ritual to mark the date".
Cheers,
Graham
Celebrating Halloween, on the other hand, seems reasonable enough. I can see your point, but what other word would be better? After all when people go to parties, dress up, give out and eat candy purely because it's the last day in October they're doing something. Halloween wouldn't be the only arbitrary date which is celebrated inappropriately - Christmas springs to mind.
I am willing to be convinced that there is a better word for "performing a shallow but culturally expected ritual to mark the date".
Cheers,
Graham
# posted by 
: 4:39 pm, September 30, 2006
: 4:39 pm, September 30, 2006
Graham, thanks for calling by. I can almost hear your voice as I read your words! Maybe it's time I posted another piece of Gloranthaphilia...
Fab Bish did a seminar at GB this year about reclaiming the secular calendar...he had some helpful things to say re Halloween, and when I'm not quite as up to my ears as I am tonight, I'll endeavour to a)find and b)post my notes.
Meanwhile, hope your procrastination bore fruit ;-)
Meanwhile, hope your procrastination bore fruit ;-)
York's designer outlet has lots of signs up saying "The Home of Guilt-Free Shopping". What, you mean I can be absolutely certain that the clothing bought here won't be the product of near-slave labour in factories where "health and safety" is a joke? No, just that I won't have to pay very much for this. Oy vey!
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